Dragons in the Desert
by Alexei Kazansky
Summary: A battle told from the point of view of both the GLA and the Chinese PLA. NOTE: There will be mention of unfamiliar Chinese weapon systems and ranks in respective languages. Work in Progress


Dragons in the desert

Chapter 1

The sound of morning prayers could be heard resonating through the underground passageway of the camp of the Global Liberation Army. The mujahedeen were dug up several feet underground, avoiding the scorching heat of the desert sun and the possible rain of enemy fire.

General Muktada bin Rashid bin Yussuf al'Kabir got up from his sajada mat and rolled it up. He sighed as he thought of the news he had received from his leader, the terrible Osama bin Laden.

Osama had given a radio message to all GLA Generals that a force from the Chinese People's Liberation Army was heading into GLA-held territory just east of Afghanistan. If the Chinese could break the GLA's defenses, the consequences could be great.

Generals were instructed to hold back the Communist enemy for as long as they could, with explicit orders to use suicide bombers if and when the occasion called for them. This had Muktada worried – he was unsure why he had even joined this organization, to die in the name of "the cause". The cause? He wasn't even sure what that cause was – the politics of the war were all a blur to him. All he knew was that his people were suffering because of the Americans and their occupation, and that he needed to do something.

But fighting the Chinese was a different story altogether. The Chinese PLA did not hold back, and the Asians were famous for being merciless, hard-pressing opponents. They had far less regard for life than their American counterparts, and they were known to use sheer numbers to overwhelm their opponents. A popular example of which was the Chinese tactic that called for throwing infantry at a machine gun until it overheated... However their reputation came nowhere near the rumors concerning his own GLA – which stated that they were an army of bloodthirsty terrorists who wanted to take over the world by killing as many Americans as they could. Oh yes, the latter part was true, but "terrorists"? How dare they even insinuate!

Muktada's train of thought was interrupted by the sound of an officer opening the blast doors to his little makeshift office.

"Salam alaikum." said the officer.

"Walaikum al-salam. What news?"

"Large blips – possibly enemy forces – have appeared on the screens of our radar van, General. I suggest we take action and organize a defense."

Muktada thought for a moment, then said, "Double the guard near our primary cluster of Stinger sites. Have a patrol of Marauders assembled, with a secondary escort of toxin tractors. Hurry – we may not have much time. Keep me updated."

"Na'am, fariq (Yes, General)." said the officer, as he saluted and walked away. Muktada hung his head, still uncertain of himself and the battle that was to come.

Chapter 2

"Mandatory service for the heroic People's Liberation Army to glorify the great nation of China, they say. An Army of the People is invincible, they say. Guns and women for everyone, they say. Bull shit. I don't believe our government has fulfilled a single one of those promises." said Xu Cheng. "What do you think, Huang Lee?" he said to a Chinese anti-tank soldier (they were nicknamed "tank hunters" by their officers) who was riding with him on top of a Type-59 "Battlemaster" tank.

"You really want to know what I think, Xu Cheng?"

"Yeah."

"I think China's going to win this war."

"Do you really think so, Huang Lee?"

"I'm certain of it. Just take a look at our enemies. They're little more than disgruntled farmers with automatic weapons."

"I don't know, Huang Lee. Sun Tzu once said that it is not wise to underestimate one's enemy."

"You still read him? Sun Tzu is way old school, Xu Cheng. Welcome to the 21st century."

Suddenly, the tank came to a grinding halt. Xu Cheng almost fell over, but Huang Lee held him steady. An officer's voice rang through speakers mounted on one of the new "Overlord" tanks near them, as Red Guards proceeded to climb out of the WZ-523 troop crawlers that came along with the fairly large assault team. "Heroic comrades of the People's Liberation Army! We have arrived at our destination! Red Guards, take your rifles and make sure that they are loaded! We will pour our ammunition unto the enemy as rain!"

"Are you listening to this shit?" Xu Cheng said as he jumped off of the tank. He shook his head and laughed as he loaded his Type 68 assault rifle.

"Watch what you're saying. You could be eating your own words when we're mopping up the dead after the battle." said Huang Lee as he hopped off the tank himself, his Type-69 RPG in hand.

"You're only confident because they gave you a helmet." Xu Cheng laughed.

"Very funny, Xu Cheng. I'll bet I'll miss all the action because this thing on my shoulder is going to slow me down. You're lucky all you have is that rifle." The tank hunter grunted as he hoisted the large weapon onto his shoulders.

"This thing?" Xu Cheng said, gesturing to his Type 68. "It has fifteen rounds and a bayonet! What am I supposed to do with a bayonet?"

"Carve out the flesh of the enemy!" said Huang Lee, chuckling.

"Quiet you two." said a third voice, coming from behind them. Huang Lee and Xu Cheng turned around to find a Chinese officer. They came to a stiff attention and saluted. "Shang Xiao! (Colonel)" they said in unison. "At ease, men." he replied. "The enemy base is reported to a few clicks away from here – so be on your toes. You know how the GLA likes to sneak up on its enemies. I can't afford anyone in my ranks being careless – so unless you have something important to say, please do shut up."

Chapter 3

A rebel scout stormed into General Muktada's room. He was sweating and his pupils were dilated like those of a madman.

"Fariq! Fariq! They are here! Al'kaferoun! (the unbelievers)"

Muktada looked up at him and frowned. "Calm down. How many?"

"They are like a swarm, my general. They have brought many armored vehicles and antitank crews. And infantry – by Allah – the infantry! A horde!"

"Are our defenses adequate?"

"We will all die here!"

"If the other rebels are as panicky as you are, we will surely, as you say, all die! Calm yourself down! Their infantry will be slaughtered by our toxin tractors!"

"And our toxin tractors will be made into scrap metal by their tanks!"

"Not a word of this to the rest of the men."

"Na'am, fariq." the rebel said. He was shaking like a leaf, his lips quivering.

"Go back to your post. Try to defend it to the best of your ability."

"Bismillah (In the name of God)." He muttered as he walked out of the room, knocking over a crate as he staggered outside.

"I must see this for myself." Muktada said, walking out of his room and into the tunnel network, finally climbing up a hole leading up to the nearby palace, where several rebels and RPG troopers had gathered.

As he opened the hatch of the hole that led from the tunnel networks into the palace, a man wearing a white turban and armed with an RPG helped him climb out.

"Salam alaikum, fariq." said the man.

"Walaikum al-salam." replied the general. "What's the situation?"

"The enemy has stopped a kilometer from our position. According to our scouts, they are preparing to launch a barrage of artillery before charging at us."

"Mobile artillery?"

"No, general – from an off-the-battlefield position."

"Cowards. Do we have anything that can possibly stave off the oncoming offensive?"

"Well… we have one man."

"One man? This man is either very brave or a dimwit. Let me meet this precious soul who thinks he can save our position all by himself."

A figure stepped out of the shadows behind Muktada. "That can be arranged, general."

Muktada turned around to see a man in a ghillie suit holding a Dragunov SVD sniper rifle.

"Ah – Commander Jarmen Kell! How did you arrive at our position so quickly?"

"Mr. Bin Laden has his ways… sir. I will take a position on top of the hills surrounding the enemy and try to nip at their heels. I hope you can do your best from your position to safeguard our defensive lines."

"Don't worry – I believe that the gracious and merciful Allah will decide who should win this battle."

Chapter 4

"This is Chou Fang Shang Xiao to PLA field artillery, do you read me, over?"

"Shi'ma, Chou Fang Shang Xiao. We read you, over."

"Excellent. Commence firing on these coordinates..."

While the field artillery deployed its shells on the GLA position in the distance, the Chinese soldiers on their lines watched in awe. A common remark from any soldier upon seeing a bombardment this size would be, "Do you think there'll be any left for us?" Of course, what the men couldn't see was that their crafty GLA nemesis was held up under ground, away from the artillery shelling and miscellaneous long-range weapons that were raining down on them.

As soon as the artillery had stopped, Chou Fang looked over the charred mess of structures and breathed in a heavy sigh of anticipation. He knew from experience that just because an enemy position _looked_ like it had been bombed to hell didn't necessarily mean that the enemy had been defeated. More likely, it meant that he had only succeeded in agitating them. But why bomb them in the first place? Why, to destroy defenses...

"Alright comrades..." Chou Fang declared, "It's time for a forward assault! Show the enemy no mercy, and strike like lightning! I want this battle over as quickly as possible. Am I understood?"

The whole unit replied with an earth-shaking, "SHI'MA!!"

"Let's get these bastards." Xu Cheng said with a grin.

"Finally starting to see things my way, eh?" said Huang Lee.

"Whatever, man. I just want to kill something."

With that, the whole force of the Chinese assault team stormed forward into the GLA defensive position.

Chapter 5  


"Zarba." muttered an observer looking out from the bombed-out entrance to a tunnel network.

"Fariq... I believe that sixty thousand troops are descending on our position... what are your orders?" He called out, still looking through his binoculars.

"Hold your positions and stay out of sight. Wait for the enemy to get inside our position."

"uh... Na'am, fariq..."

Chinese tanks rolled over the barbed wire that made the perimeter fence for the GLA base. Red Guards swarmed into the area, thousands of bayonets shining in the sun.

"What's the count?" Muktada whispered into his walkie-talkie as he hid under the palace.

"It's... hard to make out, fariq... but it's three hundred men and twenty armored vehicles at most."

"Good. That observer was starting to scare me... where is Commander Kell?"

"High ridge. I'm picking out a target. Give me five seconds." came the reply over the same frequency.

The Chinese had stopped rushing in. The base defenses were not firing at them, and the Stinger sites were apparently abandoned.

Suddenly, a Red Guard fell dead as he was examining a pile of burning rubble. His comrades raised their rifles, aiming at the ridges from which the gunshot came from. They could see nothing.

Bang

A second Red Guard fell. The Chinese immediately began to run for cover amidst shouts of "Sniper! Sniper!"

And that's when they struck. GLA rebel infantry slowly began to pop out of holes in the ground, taking hit and run assaults at the dumbfounded Chinese Red Guards. Tanks scrambled about the battlefield, getting stuck in large pieces of rubble and rolling over their own men.

Chou Fang was in a state of near panic, while Muktada was observing the battle with caution.

Xu Cheng hid behind a large column, while Huang Lee made it over to him.

"What the hell is going on?" asked the tank hunter.

"Obviously, this is an ambush." replied the Red Guard with an arrogant smile.

"I know that, but... never mind! What do we do now?"

"We fight, of course..."

"Ack! Fine - I'll cover you, okay? . . . okay?"

Xu Cheng had already moved up, and he was pumping rounds into a nearby GLA rebel. Suddenly, a Scorpion tank broke through the wall behind him, and he was caught by surprise. Huang Lee, thinking quickly, loaded his Type-69 and fired an explosive round at the turret of the tank. The tank was knocked out, leaving Xu Cheng unharmed. The latter waved a "thank you" and continued to move up.

"Reckless country boy." Huang Lee muttered, shouldering his rocket launcher and chasing after his buddy.


End file.
